SNIPPETS

• Ivory Coast president Laurent Gbagbo has reinstated three senior civil servants, suspended for their involvement in the dumping of toxic wastes around the capital city of Abidjan, in September 2006.

Chemical waste dump forces Philippines villagers out

Noxious fumes from chemical wastes dumped into a river in the town of Marilao in the Philippines, forced thousands of residents to flee their homes in the last week of November. Residents complained of dizziness and vomiting. Latest reports note that the fumes had caused 16 children and 31 adults to fall ill; at least 1,000 people were evacuated to a school. A statement issued by the civil defence headquarters in Manila said 3,000 residents of Santa Rosa Uno, another village near the river were also evacuated.

IN COURT

Tailings dam controversy: Chile's General Directorate of Waters has decided to challenge a recent ruling of Santiago Appeals Court related to tailings mine. The court had revoked authorisation of the Los Pelambres mine to build a US $530 million tailings dam--the largest of its kind in South America. In its ruling in the first week of November, the court had backed residents and farmers who have been protesting the project since 1997.

Dutch cargo vessel Probo Koala free to sail

Action against polluting units gives Goa villagers some relief

POLLUTING industrial units in Cuncolim Industrial Estate, located about 10 km from Madgaon town in Goa, are beginning to feel the heat. On September 11, 2006, the Goa State Pollution Control Board (gspcb) issued closure notices to three units.

"Waste minimisation, a training manual"

Waste Minimisation -- A Training ManualD B Boralkar and A K Mhaskar Other India Press, Goa 2006

Ivory Coast removes illegally dumped toxic waste

Ivory Coast has begun mopping up the toxic waste that was illegally dumped by a Dutch-based commodities company, Trafigura Beheer BV, in early September. The waste, which left eight dead and at least 44,000 seeking medical treatment, was released by the company's chartered tanker, Probo Koala. Wastes still remain scattered at 18 sites in the city of Abidjan (see 'Cabinet resigns over toxic waste', Down To Earth, October 15, 2006).

Draft EIA notification favours industry over environment

the draft environmental impact assessment (eia) notification has been available for comment on the Union ministry of environment and forests (moef) website for almost a year now.

Tailings dam opposed in Chile

Residents of northern Chile are appealing that a tailings dam project, which is now almost halfway complete, be halted. Once completed, it would be the third largest tailings dam in the world and would eventually hold 1,700 million tonnes of tailings, mainly slurry laden with toxic waste leftover from processed copper generated by the Pelambres mine.

Of electronic revolution and sustainability

While promoting computer literacy and Internet access in developing countries, multinational technology companies are inadvertently contributing to a public health crisis. Several initiatives backed with billions of dollars in new investments, are focused on getting the Internet to one billion new computers in remote villages without access to electricity.